G-B CM pleads for urgent federal relief

Haji Gulbar Khan says disaster 'beyond provincial means'

GILGIT:

As torrential rains continue to batter Gilgit-Baltistan, Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan sounded the alarm on Saturday, urging the federal government to step in with a relief package of Rs6 to 7 billion to begin rebuilding the region's battered infrastructure.

With much of the region left hanging by a thread, he urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to visit the flood-hit areas personally to assess the situation on the ground. He added that the scale of devastation had left the province stretched beyond its financial limits.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, G-B CM Gulbar Khan shared the grim details of the disaster and made an urgent appeal for immediate federal assistance.

He said that the widespread flooding has thrown everyday life into disarray, leaving a trail of destruction across multiple districts.

During his visit to the disaster-struck areas of Thak, Niat, Khanda, and Thor in the Diamer district, the chief minister declared them calamity-hit zones.

Relief operations are currently underway, with tents, food supplies and other essentials being distributed to the displaced population. He also called upon NGOs to join hands with the government in the ongoing rehabilitation efforts.

According to the chief minister, flash floods triggered by heavy downpours have severely impacted six to seven districts, with floodwaters inundating the streams of Thak, resulting in extensive damage to homes and crippling electricity and water supply systems.

So far, at least ten people have lost their lives, while four others have been injured. The deluge has swept away around 300 homes entirely, while over 200 others have sustained partial damage.

Key roads have been rendered impassable, including 8 to 9 kilometres of the Karakoram Highway, with a total of nearly 20 kilometres of road infrastructure affected. Furthermore, 30 to 40 water channels have also been destroyed, compounding the crisis for local communities.

KKH reopened

Meanwhile, the Karakoram Highway (KKH) was reopened on Saturday as aid and rescue operations pressed on in G-B following the trail of destruction left by flash floods.

In a statement, G-B government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq confirmed: "The Karakoram Highway is open for all types of traffic".

He noted that the vital artery had been blocked by landslides and mudflows on Friday, but the swift deployment of heavy machinery helped restore the road.

Faraq said rescue and search efforts were in full swing across the region, which has borne the brunt of the devastation, particularly in the Kunduz region and Ghanche district.

"Floods in G-B have destroyed many houses, water channels, communication roads, standing crops, shops and electricity poles," he said.

The official added that the local administration had sprung into action, distributing "hundreds of tents, thousands of food packets and medicines to the affected people" across the flood-hit areas.

Speaking about the Babusar search operation, Faraq said that there may be 10 to 12 missing tourists at the Babusar valley, as a search operation was ongoing.

He said the Pakistan Army, G-B Scouts, Rescue 1122 and local volunteers were all hands on deck, despite ongoing landslides and rising waters throwing a spanner in the works.